


Hope of Morning

by lostamongstars



Category: Code Geass, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Action/Adventure, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Aged-Up Character(s), Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Angst and Feels, Canon Crossover, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Crossover, End of the World, F/M, Geass, Gen, Graphic Description, Mecha, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Male Character, Post-Series, Post-The Blood of Olympus, War, reborn!Bianca
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-11
Updated: 2015-11-18
Packaged: 2018-03-30 01:32:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3918313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostamongstars/pseuds/lostamongstars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As broken as he'd always been, Nico di Angelo had somehow found a way. A way to end the madness. A way to bring back the world he knew from near destruction even if it required his own.</p><p>This is his story.</p><p>A PJO/HoO x Code Geass Fanfic</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Gunshot

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or settings indicated in this fanfiction. All rights go to Rick Riordan- author of the PJO/HoO Series- and Ichirou Oukouchi- original writer of the Code Geass Series. As bizarre as it sounds, most concepts of Geass will come from CG's manga spin-off, Nightmare of Nunnally, and not from the main series. It's not like there's a huge difference between the two, but NoN had a lot of things I've been looking for than in the main series. (Especially about Eden Vital, Wired Geass types and... well. You better not know the others.)
> 
> First of all, I'm the original fanfic writer of HoM and it's upcoming companion works. The @tenri-, or @_xxzeusie of Wattpad. Take your pick. So if you'll accuse me with stealing... well, your argument is invalid

E1 Part 1: Gunshot

The awful sound of cannons blasting and bullets firing bounced back at the barrier around the Big House. Any mortal psyche would've snapped already at the situation laid before their eyes. The sight of dead bodies by greeted us whenever we looked past the windows. Frightening as it was, I got used to it. Three days had already passed in this war between demigods and mortals.

My stomach grumbled in the silence, catching everyone's attention. There was a fleeting chuckle- Jason's - and sure enough, he held a protein bar at my face. His blue eyes had gone pale, as if somehow, someone was draining his life force. I looked at him, eyebrows creased in question. Food was a rare commodity at these times, and Jason was giving me his last morsel?

"It's alright," was all he said, a slight smile on his face. "You'll be nothing if you don't eat it."

"But-"

"Please, Nico." He coughed, creating a pricking feeling on my chest. "Look at yourself. You look like you're going to die and we don't need another one of us in that state."

He stood and with a curt nod, he joined Piper and Reyna. Both girls murmured things to each other while staring at the window. Reyna kept shaking her head, a tight smile etched on her face. Unwrapping the morsel on my hands, I stared at her going away from the pair. The praetor toga she wore fluttered as she went to another window. Burn marks planted dark spots to my memory.

It was as if someone tried to burn her alive.

Except for them, everyone else had taken a dejected seat near the fireplace. There were only seven of us inside the Big House, had no idea if there were any survivors out there. The enemies shot anything that moved since they came. Hazel. Frank. Leo. Will. Where could they be? Hiding somewhere? Have they left us to save themselves?

The coldness came, seeping through the holes in the walls, the smell of dead humans in tow. Nothing but these unforgiving drafts of air filled the room. And, in turn, this small mansion standing among the smoldering ashes of Camp Half-Blood. I shivered, feeling another light drift pass by my back. Worry and fear ate away our sanity. The lack of food and enough water deteriorated our bodies. Soon, we'd be nothing.

One of us didn't show that.

Clarisse paced the length of the dingy living room. A scowl branded on her square, brutish face ever since this whole skirmish started. Her big framenor did her beady eyes didn't make her less intimidating. She was, again, trying to get a rise out of us. I didn't had to listen to know what she'd just said. It was always the same thing. Get out of this place. Fight back. Kill them.

It was so obvious that we have to. But it's too dangerous. We had no weapons. We're still starving. Our minds teetered on the borderline of sanity and utter madness.

And last, all our abilities connected to the gods were gone.

We had stayed after that day, faced the King of the Gods in defiance from his choosing game. And this was the consequence: slow, painful death. It came from within our souls. From these mortal soldiers who tried to annihilate both Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. They've succeeded on destroying the latter through brute force, and now they're here. Ready to commit the same process into action.

I glanced over at Annabeth. Back then, Annabeth led us with effective strategies to defeat the adversaries of Olympus. She even faced Arachne and survived. The first child of the Wisdom Goddess to do such an impossible feat. But now that she's in a crestfallen state, the whole group felt paralyzed. Her blonde hair was a mess. Messy as it was, it did a great job of hiding her still trembling arms. There were some scratches on her skin and shirt. One might overlook at Annabeth's shabby state as a mere 'runaway' stunt. Unless one hasn't seen the dried specks of blood tainting her hair or her clothes...

The blood wasn't all hers, but of other people. We all had these marks, recent battle scars sticking out like a sore thumb on our skin. Those other people that we had no choice but to kill. Those people whom we don't know and had just the thought of killing every half-blood in sight. All for a new world. It's an inhuman thing to commit, and as they'd said it, as they did it, they seemed to be sane.

Percy sat beside her, running his hand over her back in a comforting gesture. He looked ready to carry the burden of her world to his own shoulders. Ready to do anything to get her away from the pain of this cruel world directed at us. The sparks of life in his sea-green eyes had almost snuffed out from his weariness.

The soldiers outside held their fire after a husky-voiced command.

"All the demigods in there!" It was the same voice came out from a megaphone. "Get out and surrender!"

I gazed at the others, trying to read their expressions. Piper, Jason, Clarisse, Reyna, Annabeth, and Percy. It wasn't hard. Their eyes, even dull and nearly devoid of hope, blazed with growing hatred. They wanted nothing but vengeance for the massacre they've brought down on us.

I can't help but think if my presence had always done this kind of misery. For the first time, I've stayed for months inside Camp Half-Blood. Other demigods started accepting me for who I am. They started making me their friends, and not just because I was the one who brought the Athena Parthenos.

Camp Half-Blood had become my home, and then this happened.

They've killed too many of our kind, slaughtered scores of innocents. And that's just here, within Camp Half-Blood. Camp Jupiter had even more denizens, and it experienced the waves of annihilation first.

These mortals have proved themselves that we shouldn't hand ourselves to them. Not to mention that Chiron had said as much before he...

All those thoughts were nothing but unbearable; I forced it out of my mind. Piper struggled to get next to Reyna, almost stumbling. Jason supported her with his arm.

"I'm going to tell them something," she told us, her gaze focused at the window. Jason's eyes widened in alarm.

What would she tell them? What was she thinking?

He tried to intercept Piper, but the latter pressed forward. Her choppy brown hair had white powder streaks, its source unbeknownst to us. Her kaleidoscopic eyes shone bright, dangerous. She walked toward the window where Reyna stood. She gestured the praetor to stand back. The latter did, throwing a confused glance at her and Jason.

He seemed frozen in time as Piper pushed the window outward. "There's no way you'll make us come with you!"

Her powerful voice washed out the lethargy clouding my senses. In a moment's notice, I got aware of all things at once. The faint, acrid scent of blood, the silence prevailing on both sides. The sound of my own tense breathing. Piper's hands gripped the windowpane, her forehead beaded with sweat. Her prismatic eyes narrowed in defiance at the enemy line.

A second passed away like an eternity- a calm before the storm.

A gunshot rang out.

 


	2. Fire

E1 Part 2: Fire

Piper's body crashed over the floorboards. The air of daze broke, like someone had cut through glass and sent the shards flying. Jason knelt next to her, cupping her pale cheeks with shaky hands. His voice- his words tinge with worry- sounded nothing but hoarse whispers.

"We're going back tomorrow, half-bloods!" The soldier spoke through the megaphone again. "And it won't matter to us now if you're alive or not, like the rest of your comrades!"

Reyna slammed the window shut, her pale neck having the slightest bit of red. We gathered at a safe distance around Piper after Annabeth's words. Jason cradled her in his arms, tears and flickering rage standing at the edge of his eyes. Looking at Piper at this close range, we realized that something looked wrong. Even Jason's eyes widened after realization dawned on us all. We all exchanged glances, not sure what to say next or who should say something.

Not that I did wish she had one but... Where was the wound? Her head, before she fell on her back and met the floor, threw back and seemed to get the hit. But there was nothing. Not even the littlest drop of blood. Also, her eyes were open, her pupils dilated. The multicolored luster lying in her irises were gone, replaced by a thin red film.

We all exchanged glances.

"What's that thing on her eyes?" Clarisse asked, breaking the silence. It sounded like a rhetorical question- an inquiry that no one had an exact answer.

A small, familiar voice spoke in my mind:  _Red eyes. They're always a bad sign. Dangerous._

Annabeth took it upon herself to move. She checked for Piper's pulse in a full minute, then she faced Jason. "She's in shock. We have to get her in a comfortable position and elevate her feet. Now."

The other set to work, tearing the dusty carpet away from the floor and laying it under Piper. Clarisse and Reyna went to the kitchen to get something. It must've been water, or maybe a thing that could help us elevating Piper's feet.

Jason never left her, his fingers caressing Piper's choppy hair and her sweating forehead. "She'll get back to normal, right?" He asked.

Annabeth nodded once. "We just have to wait."

The silence was hideous. The others had moved back to their original places when all's done. Slumped against walls, faces pulled taut in growing afterthought. What happened to Piper, exactly? It couldn't be an act that she'd committed herself. Piper wouldn't do anything like it- scaring us or making us worry. Then it must be them. What did they do to her? Did they made that- that red glow in her eyes? How? What was that for, anyway?

Chiron's words went back in my head again.  _Red eyes. They're dangerous_.

With nothing else to do, I strode to the window. I wanted no one to see my face as I give my thoughts a bit of freedom in this uptight situation. I caught a momentary glimpse of the barrier protecting us. The sky blue sphere would turn invisible at some inauspicious moments. If it ceased to protect us for good, it will be our end. In fact, that was the reason why the front wall had bullet holes in the first place. And there were moments where the bullets would get past the barrier and drop onto the porch. Just for scaring the hairs out of us, perhaps. Either way, it's downright terrifying. Maybe in the next hour a bullet might find its brand new home in my skull.

The soldiers stood a few yards away from the porch. They dressed like Nazi soldiers, a pair of dark green glasses slung around their necks by a black cord. They threw calculated glances at whom I assumed as their leader: a stocky man in his mid-thirties with a blond undercut. A megaphone hung over his shoulder, along with a black-and-silver rifle.

So he was that man. The man who might have been responsible for Piper's current state.

He shot a once-over at my direction, then he turned away. A large group of soldiers followed him in a line, all heading to the beach. About a dozen or so soldiers stayed in their positions. They were making sure that we won't escape. Not today, not tomorrow.

The Big House- the last fortress for us children of the gods- have become the perfect prison.

*

The lush greens at the central bonfire had a shower of red. The dead flung over tree branches, lying on the grass. Stabbed, maimed, shot like rabid animals. Percy and the others fended off the soldiers as much as they could. Me and Annabeth tried comforting a wounded Chiron at the Big House's front porch.

"Red eyes," he croaked, fisting his bloodstained shirt, "they are dangerous."

"Chiron, don't speak any further," Annabeth's stormy gray eyes pleaded with her voice. "We- We'll get you fixed. I swear it on the River Styx."

The sky rumbled. It looked nothing but gray, the dark clouds signalling a light drizzle ahead. Not to soon, drops of water fell from the sky. The raindrops splashing on the rails reached us. It bit my skin like pins and needles. My own vision blurred as warm, salty tears marched down my cold cheeks. I made no effort wiping them under the rain.

Chiron had a half-smile on his pained face. "Avoid them- the young boy and his men."

"Why?" Annabeth asked again. "Who are they? What did they do to the gods?"

Chiron swallowed. "I'm afraid I don't know. It- it all happened too fast. But do me a favor." Chiron coughed up blood. Annabeth winced. "Seek the Cursed Lady. The Immortal Witch."

"Is that Hecate?" I asked, raising my voice a little from the sound of rain. I don't remember Hecate having that kind of title to be honest, but it wouldn't hurt to guess anyway.

Chiron shook his head. "She is not Hecate, Nico. The lady with the bird-shaped mark on her forehead. . .. That's who you must all seek."

"Why should we find her? And how?"

Chiron's hindquarters started crumbling to dust. "She will save you." He winced. "The gods who have survived the initial Schism in Olympus... they have made sure of that."

He held our hands with his bloody ones, his grip as tight as ever. "Remember," he said, his voice hoarse like sandpaper, "you're our heroes. May the spirit of Elpis help you."

"How are you?" Percy asked, clamping his hand over my shoulder. Soldiers were still out and about, doing their rounds. I had no idea what caught me off guard, exactly: was it the slight physical contact or his question?

"I'm fine. A little tired is all. How's Piper?"

Percy took a deep breath. "Her shock's gone now. But without any nectar or ambrosia to speed up her recovery-"

A muffled sound of wood splintering cut through the near silent room. I turned, eyes scanning the small living room from where the sound might come. Piper still lay on the carpet, her eyes closed and palms turned downward. The others looked around too, squinting under the diminishing sunlight through the bullet holes.

"What was that-"

_THUNK! THUNK!_

Tense silence filled the room.

Annabeth's faint and muffled voice chimed in the quiet: "We should inspect that."

Clarisse groaned, rolling her eyes at Annabeth.

"But where did it came from?" Jason knelt next to Piper. With Reyna's assist, he was able to carry her on his back. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Annabeth faced the hall.

"Let's just inspect the rooms one by one. Then we either fight or-"

"Do we have to run again like chickens?" Clarisse said, taking steps towards Annabeth. "Why don't we just fight whoever comes out there? For all we know, it could be-"

A sound like a wrecking ball hitting a wall broke the bickering between them. The ground shook a little, thick clouds of dust billowing up to our faces. Choking, I waved my hand to the smoke as if shooing a pesky dog. I glanced at each demigod, who all coughed from the sudden dust attack.

"At least we now know-" Percy coughed, a sheepish smile on his face, "-where to go, huh?"

Rushing down the basement we went, not one of us saying anything. Clarisse led the way, while Jason and Piper fell on the rear with Annabeth. The rest of us cramped in the middle, stumbling ever so slight in the dark. The dust cloud receded at a snail's pace, but that wasn't the thing bothering me. The shadows grew darker the more we walked on. And the clouds seemed more like tendrils of black mist. My heart began to pick up pace, throat itching from the lack of water. I had no idea what to expect.

Who could it be? Were they any of our friends, or were they enemies?

"Stop." Clarisse held up a hand. The next person bumped at her and started the bump chain. I heard someone hiss.

"Sorry," Reyna muttered.

"Who's there?" It was a girl. Needles pricked my chest in recognition. My eyes strained to look for her amidst shadows.

"Hazel-?"

We heard a couple of gasps.

"It's our Hazel, right Nico?"

"Yeah." My heart pounded in anticipation.  _It was her voice- I'm sure of it._  "I heard her-"

The dust cloud receded wholly, revealing three silhouettes standing by the basement's door. Eyes widening, I sidestepped Clarisse and ran to them.

"Hazel!"

We met halfway with a hug. Something warm and wet dripped on my shoulders. Tears.

"Nico, I-" Hazel sniffled, "I missed you so much."

I embraced her tighter. "I missed you too."

I held her at arm's length, looking at her startling gold eyes and then past her shoulders. "How did you get here? Who-"

"'Sup, guys?" It was Leo. "It's just me, Frankie, and Hazel here. No need to worry."

"Don't call me Frankie, Leo."

"Just this once, pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"Still no."

"Aww." There was a snap, and fire danced on Leo's forefinger. "Anyone called for a little light?"

Seeing his finger lit up with that little light meant he could still use his ability-!

"You weren't affected by this drain, Leo?" Jason's voice sounded faint.

"It's not just him." A smile made its way on Hazel's face.

The fire made her eyes look like amber. I just noticed they each carried a knapsack. A wristwatch glinted on their right arm. "Me and Frank, too. Somehow, our abilities as demigods were still intact."

Reyna almost immediately voiced out my thoughts. "There must be a reason behind that. Do you have any idea...?"

The three of them exchanged glances, then shook their heads.

"How did you find your way here anyway?" Clarisse said after a moment. "And why didn't you just left?"

"Heroes aren't supposed to be selfish, right?" Leo grinned. "Might as well do good before we head over Elysium or somewhere . . . "

Leo coughed. "Ah. Anyway, there was this underground tunnel system underneath camp. I knew it existed since I came here. Will also knew about it, too, after hearing my conversation with Jake Mason. So over the last few months our cabin uncovered the passages and connected Cabin Nine and Bunker Nine."

He let out a triumphant grin. "It was just a matter of figuring out where goes where from Bunker Nine to the Big House."

"But what if we weren't here?"

Silence passed. Shaking his head, Leo said, "Can we put that aside and do our great escape, girls and boys? The enemy plans on putting an end to that barrier, see."

Someone drew a sharp gasp; faint, but still audible. "Are you serious?" It was Percy.

He rolled his eyes. "I don't think they'd be joking about throwing missiles to the Big House tonight."

How did he knew about this "attack"? I recalled the leader of those soldiers that they're going to end this between us. Tomorrow. Judging from the sober looks on their faces, Hazel and Frank knew about it too.

"What?" The son of Hephaestus blinked at us. "You think they'd wait until tomorrow?"

"Slow down, guys." It was Jason. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him walk closer to us in front. "How have you even known all this, Leo?"

Both Leo and Hazel pointed at Frank. He shrugged. "You know, it's not important now what I did or how we got the information. We heard them talk about this- well, me anyway- and we should go now. As in now, because-"

The flames flickered on Leo's finger. Was he shaking, too?

. . . No. The earth was shaking beneath us.

 


	3. Phase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Camp Half-Blood had become my home, and then this happened.

E1 Part 3: Phase

Our heels rocked to and fro, and I felt myself lose a grip on my balance. Sounds of cannons firing at the Big House followed the tremors of the earth. This time, louder than it had been before. Dust rained from the top. Clouds of powdered rubble rose from the ground and clung to our clothes.

"What time-" Annabeth said, wheezing. "Wait- Is it-"

"Glad you know." Tipping an imaginary hat, Leo turned back to the opened basement and walked inside. My sister and her boyfriend followed him like obedient kids to their parents. With Leo's light, I saw the hinges dangling at the sides and the actual door missing. Inside were boxes of differing sizes and shapes stacked on haphazard angles. Some were squished. Most of these brown boxes tainted with splatters I hoped wasn't anyone's blood. Frank and Leo lifted a white board from the floor and laid it aside. It was most likely the door of the basement, if not for the doorknob glinting at its edge.

A black hole on the ground gaped at us.

"Torches would be nice, you know," Percy said.

Leo grinned, then with a nod he jumped down the hole. His fire still burned and swayed on his finger. Lifting Hazel like his new bride, Frank jumped down the hole.

"Come on, guys!" Leo shouted. "Seriously, you don't want to be here when Howitzers rain down on us!"

Another boom shook the Big House. No doubt they're doing a great job breaking the magical barrier once and for all.

"I don't think I'd like to find out," Percy muttered, then she jumped into the hole. The rest of us followed suit. When we've all made it down, Hazel made an upward motion with her hands. Rocks gathered at the hole, built a wall that sealed us within the stone.

We didn't move for what seemed like hours, entranced by the sound of destruction. Leo's fire provided enough light to see around. But there were the shadows, creating a certain bleakness on our faces. They've done this to us. They destroyed everything that we stood for so long. The things we've tried so hard to protect against all odds.

They've destroyed the only place I called home. And they're going to pay for it. I don't know how will I do it, or how will we do it, but...

"Let's go, now." Percy was already walking away from us. His voice sounded different, shaking. He's trying to hold himself together. "If they catch us, we won't be able to end this madness."

I gathered my bearings and walked with them. To the empty darkness of the tunnel which I hoped wouldn't be our future soon.

*

Perhaps we looked like rag dolls when we got out of the tunnel. Grimy and limp, discarded from glass cases and drowned in the muck. We've made it out of camp- thanks to Hazel's efforts. We were alive without new wounds to remember. The soldiers never caught us. But there was no doubt they'd be searching us. The fact that they won't see a single body underneath the rubble of the Big House . Despite the odds, a grin seeped out of my face.

We were free from our imminent demise. For now.

Gulls cried overhead, their snowy feathers washed in pale gray. The sun was nowhere at the sky, hidden behind the ominous clouds. The way out led to a desolated beach littered with sea wrack. A storm brewed at the horizon, filling the sky with ominous gray clouds. Winds churned. The sea pounded the shore in angry waves almost as tall as me, drowning every other noise.

We decided not to go too near to the shore or too far from the tunnel exit. Sitting in a wide circle, we stared at each and everyone in silence. Percy was on the other side of the circle, facing me, flanked by Annabeth and Jason. On Jason's lap was Piper, still asleep from whatever spell she'd been in.

I couldn't get the image of her red eyes out of my head whenever I look at her. Something tells me this wouldn't be the last time we'll see this.

On Annabeth's side was Clarisse and Reyna talking in hushed tones. Hazel was on my right, and Frank was on my left. Leo chatted with Jason, occasionally glancing at Piper with a pained expression.

"How dare they." Percy's gaze narrowed, focused on the pebbles at the midst of our circle. "They're going to pay for destroying both camps."

"Now you're saying that, punk?" Clarisse spat, glaring.

I gazed at her. "We don't have a chance if we're going to fight against them right there and then."

She huffed. "Whatever you say."

"Where are we, anyway?" Leo waved his hand to the beach. "Looks like the Atlantic is just a few steps away."

"I don't know," Percy replied. "But it looks familiar..."

"Have you been in here before?"

Percy shook his head.

"Maybe this is a part of Montauk coast." Annabeth squeezed Percy's hand with her own. "It's the only beach you go to with Sally right?"

"Maybe it is." Percy's tone had a hollow glint to it. I've never heard him speak like this. And it hurts hearing it. Maybe I never stopped caring about him after all. The sadness lingering in him dissipated for a moment as he pulled a small smile. "I don't think we've gone far. Montauk's just one ride away from camp- or at least that's what I remembered."

"We didn't pass this Labyrinth you said before, did we?" Reyna said.

"Yeah. If it was the labyrinth, we would've ended up in China already."

"Who's Sally?" Leo asked.

"My mom." Percy smiled wistfully. "I wonder if we could all go back there, to the camp. Or to Manhattan."

Silence filled our circle. Only the howling winds and raging waves were our company.

"We should take some rest," Hazel cut in, smiling. "And get some shelter from the storm. It looks like it's going to rain soon."

"This doesn't look good- that storm, I mean." Annabeth took a deep breath and stared at the gray sky. "It's not supposed to exist at this month."

"True enough." Jason ran his fingers in Piper's hair, attempting to tidy it up. "Maybe it has something to do with whatever's happening to the gods."

"Should we go back inside the tunnel?" I asked. They all nodded, standing. Jason lifted Piper on his arms, careful that she won't fall out of his grasp.

Hazel was on the lead again, followed shortly by Frank. "I'll just block the other way."

He nodded. "I'm right behind you."

The rest of us stopped at the mouth of the entrance.

"Do you think there's food out here?" Percy almost shouted against the howling wind. It's as if someone watched us and controlled this storm, sending it towards us. But maybe it's just my imagination.

"Don't worry about food," Leo said, patting his tool belt. "I can make mean tacos and tofu."

"Where would you-" Percy's gaze focused on Leo's tool belt. Then he raised an eyebrow at him. "No way."

"Yes way, Percy!" And they launched into a small talk about how amazing Leo's tool belt was. Jason shared his and Piper's experience in the cave, in their quest to save Hera.

"That felt ages ago," Leo whispered. Silence ensued, again. I couldn't hear the sound of Hazel and Frank working on the tunnel, thanks to the wind. I wish I could help them- I once raised a wall of earth in Othyrs, something I didn't know I could do.

Why did Hazel's abilities remained and mine didn't?

A few minutes passed, then I saw Hazel's petite figure come out of the dark. Dust caked her clothes, but she brushed them off as much as she can. "Guys, we're done. Come on in!"

Once inside, Leo lit up a small fire with a few pieces of wood which Frank had found. The warmth seeped through my clothes. Rain started to fall from the skies. Cool air mixed with the warm, and I felt at ease. Outside, the world was dark. Cold and unforgiving. Night had begun. I hardly heard the others muttering, agreeing to someone's, "Let's take a rest?"

Not one soul bothered to say otherwise; no surprise.

As the silence of the world ensued, exhaustion overtook my senses. And before I knew it I had lapsed into a dream.

It brought me a nightmare that would last my entire life like a curse.

_I stood along the knife tip of a cliff, with a soupy white kind of fog circling the air. Cold sweat trickled at the sides of my face, as I take in the familiarity of the place- Akhlys's path to the Mansion of Night. The poisonous greenery grown by the goddess of Misery dotted the ground. Flower patches bloomed with relish. The ailing, sweet scent of the poison glade mingled with the damp air._

_I breathed, and the dark sky boiled into a terrible, dark shade of red. I fell to my knees, my skin crawling with blisters, my throat burning in flames. My lungs seem to retract into the size of a gum, making it so hard to take even a single breath. I retched, and everytime I close my eyes even for a second longer..._

_As if sensing my muted agony, the fog dissipated, taking the morbid odor of the toxic flowers. My throat still burned and felt raw, but in a lesser intensity. Like I had downed three cups of boiling water without batting an eyelash. Breathing got a little easier. I sucked in the cold air, grateful for it. Gathering my bearings again, I peeked over the edge._

_"I came as you wished," someone spoke, a voice as loud as thunder. It sounded like something out of a horror show- a voice made of female and male voices making an abhorrent kind of harmony. "What is it now?"_

_"I have something to tell you," was a response, crafted by a woman's voice. It sounded familiar..._

_"Say it," the man- dressed in a dark suit- intoned. His imposing physique and regal air just hid in his star-dazzled clothing._

_"They've called an end to Phase One. The Purge."_

_The Purge... A day where all kinds of killing are allowed..._

_There could only be one meaning to it. She was talking about the annihilation of both camps._

 

 


	4. Marked

E1 Part 4: Marked

After a few seconds of hesitating, I glided down at the entrance of Nyx's Mansion. I heard them talk in casual, laid-back tones- they haven't sensed me just yet.

"How are the rest of the gods?" asked the male.

"Trapped in Eden Vital. Or running. Or dissolved into the void." The female winced. Her voice sounded quite familiar... "The Underworld is unstable. Ghosts keep on escaping but they're all sucked into the void."

"That's going to change the balance of our worlds." He closed his eyes for a moment, a tight expression crossing his face. "What about the Eden? Who's in charge?"

"Ithax told me that a single Code Bearer had access to it. And it so happens to be the one who placed the gods there."

My feet touched the ground. Nothing much had changed. Silver gilded doors stood out- a sore thumb in the dark. It provided a mystic sheen of white over the obsidian rocks and marble flooring.

The Mistform facing the man was a dark-haired woman in a ghost-white sleeveless gown. Her dress shifted everytime she moved, bare and lifeless forests dappling the fabric. The tight-lipped smile seemed like a slap to my face. The answer appeared before me, and at that moment I wanted to have a wrong judgment.

"If I could only get out of here," said the man, filling in the first lull in their exchange. He looked up at the dark expanse, maybe imagining a set of prison bars overhead. Trapping him here like a firefly in a bottle. "We Primordials have the same fate: trapped in our domains for eternity."

The woman's smile didn't waver.

"Gaea, look at what happened to this world." I did a double take hearing her name- seeing her again after months. Pushing back the questions, I listened. "Look at how corrupted humans have become. Our own kin have betrayed us for power and control. What you did to Ouranos, your own husband, and a brother under my wing. This trait was passed on, from immortals to mortal men. A trait that we shouldn't have shown them."

A bitter metallic taste spread through my mouth. It was her- for real. I gazed at the man, my mind trying to figure out who he is.

"They're bound to learn it anyway," Gaea said. "Prometheus gave them a mind much like ours." The goddess's image flickered- vanishing at one point, then returning. "We must do something."

The man chuckled, amused. "If only things were as easy as they were before."

"How come things were easier before?"

"You got a point." The man's brows furrowed. "How did Ithax contact you, by the way?"

"Through whispers. He'd delivered the first of two messages before he got taken. Of where he might be now, I have no clue."

The man nodded, his hand stroking his chin in slow motion. "I see. It must be them who took him, perhaps?" The goddess nodded. "Well, the other news must reach you. Fortunately, I know what it is."

"What other news?"

Silence.

"A vision from Koios and Phoebe have reached me."

"My children!" Gaea exclaimed with a hopeful, less-sinister smile on her face. With that less vicious smile, she seem more of a mortal lady than a psychotic murderer. But that didn't make me feel any better. "How?" Her voice filled with longing and relief. "They're held prisoners along with those Olympian gods, weren't they?"

"They still are, but somehow, they managed to send messages beyond Heaven's Door..." A huff resounded. "Enough about that. I'm quite certain we'll stray from the point if we talk about them further."

Gaea scowled but didn't say anything. All at once, I wanted to charge them with tons of questions. Only that I couldn't. "As I was saying earlier," the man continued, "Koios and Phoebe have sent me a vision. They have agreed on one thing."

"And that would be?"

"They told me that I shouldn't give you any more power. They said you have plans of ruling the cosmos and bringing despair to the future. You'd be able to depose that Immortal who intends on destroying us, but then-"

The ground shook beneath, rattling my bones. The Mistform dispersed, replaced by the real, solid form of Gaea. The man must have given more prowess to Earth Mother than he thought.

The man's expression darkened. "Pretentious as ever. No wonder you're children had warned me."

Cracks spread on the surface- small, hairlike, but cutting deep. I felt my heart crept up to my throat. Dust quivered at my feet. In the midst of the rumbling noise, Gaea's snarl was hard to miss. "Why, Father? Have you mistrusted me so much? You'd rather take my children's opinion first than mine?"

A blast of cold air knocked me off my feet. There's only one being that Gaea would address as her father. The man, without a doubt, was Chaos himself.

"I will obliterate them," she promised. "On my life I will. Both of those Code Bearers and their Geass will go with them to eternal despair."

What was that- Geass?

"And then what?" Chaos raised his voice. "You'll destroy the pantheon of the gods next when they're saved, Gaea? Were you plotting another scheme of vengeance before you came here?" I noticed his hands, curled into tight fists on his back. Black tendrils of Mist formed behind him like a giant wolf's tail. "You know that those Olympians you hate are better rulers than your children. And I mean both the Titans and Giants.

"If you have such a twisted plan, then you are no different from them."

It took a while for the goddess to respond. "I am different from them."

The statement earned the goddess an indignant scoff. "What makes you say that you are different?" Chaos demanded. He didn't wait for any more input from her, though. "You ordered your elder children to depose their father. Next, you and Tartarus organized the downfall of Olympians. Both plans fell into oblivion, which is something that I am thankful for. My point is, you're a wretched piece of work, Gaea. And on my eternal will I'll never let you set foot out onto the world again."

"Would you rather let the usurpers put an end to us?" Gaea shot at him, spitting out words the same way she might curse at Ouranos. "Those Immortals never knew we exist-!"

"Then so be it!" Chaos heaved a deep sigh, on par with somebody's dying breath. The sound caught me off guard. "Us gods are on a different tier from these mortals. And what good are we in this world- beings sending out children to war, to their death."

"Father!"

"I have decided." Chaos' piercing voice floored any further discussions. "I will not give you a part of my power. You can't change it. If this world ends, it must be written in the stars. And here we are, prolonging the agony of waiting for it."

The goddess's image flickered. "You will regret this day, Father," she muttered. Her voice froze with so much hatred it pierced my mind like a dagger. "I'm the only one who could defeat them, and yet you chose not to let me. You'll regret this day so much, I swear it on the River Styx. Because you have marked the end of our world."

She snapped her misty fingers, and the whole platform dissolved into dust. Chaos was gone, and so was the evil Earth Mother. Icy air swirled around me, stilling my heart.

I woke with a start, feeling like I was clawing at the nothingness.

A girl yelped in surprise. I spun around to face where the voice came.

Hazel stared at me with wide eyes. "Is there anything wrong, Nico?"


	5. Geass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But after everything you did for us?" He gave me a warm smile, the kind that somehow won a girl's heart as well as mine. "I knew I shouldn't doubt you anymore."
> 
> I scoffed, but his words had coaxed a little grin against my will. "Mister Jackson?"
> 
> "Yeah?"
> 
> "Two words: Shut. Up."
> 
> "Wow. I'm so feeling the love."

E1 Part 5: Geass

The first thing I noted was that night had already fallen. The storm had passed, and we were out of the cave. Hazel sat beside me. Clarisse didn't seem to be here. Next to my sister was Reyna, followed by Jason, Piper, and Leo. At my left was Frank, followed by Percy and Annabeth. He gave me a nod and offered water from a canteen. I shook my head. I didn't feel like drinking or eating anything after that almost realistic fall to the void.

"Brother?"

"It's just a dream," I told Hazel, and then I found myself shaking my head. "Much more of a nightmare, and a bad news."

Gold eyes stared at me, the constant wariness in it becoming too visible within its sparks. Curls of her warm chocolate-colored hair swayed a little to the left. The wind took away some of the white dust that settled over her hair since our escape. I faced a small campfire. The frigid surface of a weathered rock spire behind me tore on my skin, chasing shivers across my back. Around the fire, Leo and the others sat over rocks the size of luggage bags. Grimy faces, with powder-coated hair and clothes; we must've been a sight.

A sea breeze draft blew our way, and I took a breath. They all looked at me now, expectant. It made me wonder how long had they slept, if they'd been plague by a dream like mine.

"First thing's first," I said to them. "Where's Clarisse?"

"She left without saying anything," Annabeth said. "When we came to, we searched for her and went as far as we can- except for Hazel and Leo who stayed with you."

"She's just gone?" Slow nods confirmed my assumption.

"Had a nice dream, I hope," Reyna muttered.

"Since when did we get the nice stuff, guys?" Leo sang, tending the fire with a long stick. He had a point. Demigods never get lucky in almost all circumstances. The last few days were no different.

Jason leaned a bit forward, propping his elbows over his legs. "What did you see, Nico?"

I took a deep breath, trying to brace myself for the worst. There's no other way to put it. "The gods. I think they're imprisoned."

The most I got from them were gasps and wide eyes, and then I told them the details. At the mention of this geass, I met their confused looks- save Annabeth. Her brows creased, but more on concentration than confusion. It was as if she delved deep into her ever-dependable bank of knowledge as she listened. As for everyone else, their weariness became more pronounced on their features as I went on. Their eyelids drooped, shoulders sagging and their vain efforts to straighten their posture.

Percy slid off his rock and preferred sitting on the sand. "It would've been a good thing if we're not chased by psycho soldiers. Or that little kid didn't have a plan of destroying the world. What was his name again-"

Annabeth gasped, her nose crinkling. "Percy!"

He looked at Annabeth as if she'd just slapped him. "What?"

"Why are you thinking like that?" Annabeth's facade softened. Strands of her blonde hair hung loose, falling apart from her hair tie. "If they're imprisoned then we should help them."

"Exactly." Percy leaned in, his sea-green eyes surprisingly vivid against the red-orange light. "But how? Both camps are under siege. We don't have anything aside from our clothes for us to survive out here-"

"You just enjoyed my tacos, Percy," Leo cut in.

"-and we're hunted by some wretched kid who wants apocalypse and our death." He then buried his head in his hands, opting for silence. I'd never seen him this defeated, not when he and Annabeth had survived Tartarus and found themselves psyching for the final battle at Greece.

What he had just said wasn't an exaggeration. Everything in it was true, and we were aware of it. Without provisions, weapons, powers, and allies, how could we arrange a rescue quest to some place we haven't even known?

"What about us?" Frank chimed in. He looked like an imposing figure next to the rocks and the blazing fire. "Me, Hazel, and Leo. We still have our abilities-- no more, no less."

"Maybe they hadn't caught all the gods," Reyna suggested.

Hazel took off from her statement. "Or maybe they had escaped from their bonds. Reyna, you're amazing!"

Jason nodded. "I like that idea but I think we shouldn't just jump to conclusions yet. Someone who could imprison not just one but most gods and Titans must be one powerful being to deal with."

"As optimistic as ever, Professor Grace," Leo quipped. Jason and Piper shared an eye roll, but they couldn't contain that familial smile Leo had induced on them. "But really, a kid chasing us to death? If someone had said this to me before all this happened, I might've punched their noses."

"He must be an immortal or something..." Piper turned to Annabeth. "What do you think? Is there anything in the myths back then? Something that's just as awful as the Titan and Giant War?"

Our group went silent, except for the waves lapping against the coast and the crackling fire. Annabeth shook her head. "There's none."

"So what in Olympus is happening right now if it wasn't- you know."

"What about geass, Annabeth?" I ventured, staring at her. "Earlier, you looked like you knew something about it."

Annabeth gave me a long look, then squinted as if she couldn't see me and was trying to. "Something came to me while you relayed that dream of yours."

"Um, what was the word again?" Frank asked, sheepish.

"Geass," Leo muttered absently. "Never heard of it."

"I'm pretty sure we all don't."

"Except Annabeth."

"Of course."

Piper clapped once, getting our attention. "So, Annabeth. Do you know what it is?"

She shrugged. "Sort of. You see, at the end of the war and our recent encounters outside camp, I started delving into other mythologies. Who knows, there might be others around and we just didn't know."

"Like the Romans," Percy added. "We didn't know you guys and Camp Jupiter existed, and vice versa. Thanks to Hera, we've all met each other and I'm thankful for that. Then the Egyptians came and-"

The rest of us who listened barely had time to stifle our gasps.

"Wait, wait, wait." Leo held his hands out in a time-out gesture. "Egyptians?"

"Yeah." He looked at Annabeth, who gave a nod. It seemed like the existence of both sides were kept as a secret and nothing more. And the couple had that agreement with the other side- the Egyptians. "For the past months, we've met two Egyptian magicians- who were also siblings- and fought this other crazy magician who intended to become a god with the use of Greek-Egyptian hybrid magic."

"What happened to him?" Jason said.

"He's in a snow globe now." Percy grinned. "Carter must be having fun with his paperweight... But I digress. We should really be talking about this geass, whatever it is. Annabeth?"

Annabeth looked like she'd rather swallow a marble. "Anyway, I've tried reading as much as I could. Some of my siblings helped in the search. One of the ones that I couldn't shake was geass, which was a part of Gaelic Mythology."

"Great." Leo snorted. "Does this mean more monsters for us? Do they have their own Underworld and Tartarus?"

Everyone stared at Leo, who merely mouthed, "What?"

It was Annabeth's turn to bury her head in her hands. If it was out of frustration or exasperation, I didn't want to find out. After another moment of silence, she raised her head and looked at us one by one. "This geass might have a different manifestation, but it might still point out to what was written in myths. Just look at the Egyptians. They use magic and they could even host gods for a short time. We half-bloods couldn't do that, but we make up for it by having abilities related to our godly parent.

"Anyway, there's more."

"What would that be?" Hazel said, uncertain.

"Geass is said to be similar to that of a taboo. It is the equivalent of our fatal flaw."

Silence.

Percy stared at Annabeth. "What exactly are we fighting here, then?

A full minute of unbearable silence passed. Then Leo- being the usual Hispanic ADHD boy that he was- brought us back to our senses. Grinning like a frenzied monkey, he announced, "Anyone up for some more Special Doomsday Tacos by Uncle Leo?"

This time, the silence had helped in calming me and the storm of thoughts inside. I keep on replaying the dream in audio form- like a broken tape that couldn't be fixed. Not by anyone else, or maybe not even me.

*

"We can't let just one of us take watch," Percy reasoned at Annabeth, glancing at me in a matter of seconds. I had volunteered in taking watch so I could avoid having dreams as horrid as the last one. Then Percy perked up and this happened. I couldn't help but groan at the very idea. The last thing I ever needed was alone time with a son of Poseidon. And at a time like this, no less.

"Don't be heroes," Annabeth reminded us, suppressing a teasing smile. "Wake us up after the fourth hour, okay?"

"How would we know?" I asked, gazing at her. After that wee incident at camp, which coincided with the worst day we've all had, I've found it a lot easier to talk to Annabeth. And look at her without getting my dose of suicidal urges for the day.

Out of nowhere, Leo called and tossed something. I caught it in midair, and the blood in my hands had momentarily turned to ice. "Sorry if I haven't given that to you earlier," Leo told me. "With your real cheerful news I almost forgot."

I stared at the object resting over my palms. A silver pocketwatch. On its side was the opening latch, embossed with the Greek letter Eta.

Looking up at him, I said, "Thanks. And why is it this cold?"

Leo's hands twisted the hem of his polo shirt. The wind ruffled his curly brown hair that almost seemed black tonight. "That's Stygian ice core in there. Supposed to run all our watches for eternity, according to dad-"

"So you've met your dad?"

"In a dream. Before chaos happened at camp."

Annabeth looked at him. "Is there something that we should know?"

Leo's glance darted from me to Annabeth. Percy stood by, listening. If the others did too, I couldn't tell. They'd already settled on their makeshift sleeping mats out of the white drapes Leo gave them.

"Why don't we rest for tonight because we need it?" Percy suggested, placing a hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "We'll talk about what we have to talk tomorrow instead, and me and Nico will do guard duty."

Air settled thick between us like liquid cement. Finally, Annabeth murmured, "Fine by me." She made her way to a spot between Reyna and Piper. Leo settled at the edge of camp, sleeping next to Jason.

Our guard duty began, as simple as that, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that we weren't just separated by mere numbers of feet but much more. And the fact that Percy had sat over the surf... Well, that didn't made me feel any better. Another thing to add to my odd things list.

"Hey," Percy prompted, glancing at me over his lean shoulder. "Can we talk, Nico?"

My ears might've had the color of tomatoes but whatever. It was nothing but a trivial matter anyway. "Yeah. About what?"

He took steps toward me, the breeze whipping his hair and clothes sideways. He kept glancing at the sea. "About, you know. What you've said almost a month ago."

I tried to look nonchalant, but maybe all that heat clogging on my face would gave me away. I cleared my throat. "What about it?"

Percy sat cross-legged over a rock, and then gazed at me for a long time. His sea-green eyes glimmered in the same confusion when I confessed that I had a crush on him. "How?" he said. "Since when?"

I sighed. "Since I was ten. But I'm over it, Percy. Trust me."

"I do trust you, you know. Although sometimes..." His voice trailed off.

"You've doubted me." I let out a chuckle. "No surprise."

Percy straightened up his back. Seemed like I caught him off guard with that statement. But my words held a ring of truth to it. Not a lot of people trusted me, and I did the same thing.

"But after everything you did for us?" He gave me a warm smile, the kind that somehow won a girl's heart as well as mine. "I knew I shouldn't doubt you anymore."

I scoffed, but his words had coaxed a little grin against my will. "Mister Jackson?"

"Yeah?"

"Two words: Shut. Up."

"Wow. I'm so feeling the love."

I looked up, chuckling, thankful that I got this small tidbit of time at my hands. Stars blazed forth, painting the sky in deep blues and near-blinding whites, the arm of the Milky Way. Their brightness alone might've outshone a full moon, which was nowhere up there. Must be in the new moon phase, I guess. I gazed at Percy and took in his features, his lean physique, his dark silken hair swaying to one side as the waves crashed by the shore.

"You okay?" I waved him off and said that I was fine, mostly, but he didn't seem to buy it. Demigods and nightmare went as well as oil in water, and everyone knows that.

Percy bit his lip. "Tell me if you can't take watch anymore, 'kay?"

"Percy."

He held up his hands in surrender, and it was obvious that he's trying to hide a smile. "You're like the little cousin I'd never had. All of us here are cousins, actually." Percy shook his head. "Okay. That was weird. Don't mind me."

I chuckled. "If you say so."

"But if you haven't noticed, we're all that you've got. We all have to stick to each other if we all want to survive."

"I know," I agreed, remembering Annabeth's words.

_We won't leave you out of the picture. I swear it on the River Styx._

 


	6. Order

E1 Part 6: Order

_Winter had rolled greatly these past few days. Gray skies and the little layer of snow filled the surroundings, making everything else look bleak and lifeless. There was so much more than the ominous weather, however. About one hour before all Hades broke loose, Annabeth called me right after I stepped out of my cabin. The horn rang frantically across camp, almost like a call to war and not for breakfast. My suspicions about what was happening had been confirmed by equally frantic demigods running from the crest of Half-Blood Hill to the central green._

_It seemed like Chiron's request of calling back half-bloods was successful, albeit we- the ones who preferred to stay all year round- still didn't know why it had to be done. The Hephaestus kids busied themselves with bringing the large flat screen in front of the large half circle of demigods facing the campfire. Some gathered and went to the open air pavilion to get baskets of breakfast goods for their siblings._

_Anyway, I glanced back at Annabeth. She wore a gray peacoat hiding her articles of clothing and boots, her blonde hair tied up in a messy bun. Somehow, I knew what her gaze meant. Let's talk._

_Not that I could prevent it. I knew that this "talk" would happen soon enough. Walking toward her, I steeled my jittery nerves._

_Percy stood back, called out something like trying to lull the chaos then ran to the demigods._

_"It took time for him to get over his shock, Nico," Annabeth told me when I was close enough. "And it was funny seeing him so confused for days."_

_"Aren't you... you know. Disgusted at me or something?"_

_A meek giggle escaped her lips. "Why would I? You're a good guy and I think you've done nothing wrong at all. We couldn't thank you enough for helping us, although, of course," she paused, smiling, "Percy's safety was your top priority."_

_I laughed sharply but said nothing. Anyone who knew about this... feeling of mine toward Percy would probably see my actions as an act of love. It all led to my misery, but I knew I was stronger than the pain. Annabeth took my hands and covered it with her gloved hands. I caught a whiff of her lemon perfume. "Nico, don't forget that we're here. Always. We'll never push you out of the picture."_

_"Swear?"_

_She smiled. "I swear it on the River Styx."_

_Things happened in a blur. All that I noticed was the growing number of demigods. There must be around three hundred of us here, waiting as if we were about to walk to the gallows._

_Chiron, in his imposing centaur form, gave everyone an encouraging stare. "We're going to receive a message straight from Olympus," he explained. "It will be a live feed so please be in your best behavior."_

_"That's not Olympus," Annabeth muttered. She had taken a spot between Percy and me. The cabin counselors had decided to. he large screen spreading almost as high as the Big House's front porch but as thin as a flat screen TV showed a backdrop of a temple and a sky in a sunset._

_Or was it a sunrise? Thinking which was it gave me the slightest of headaches._

_"Maybe it's just an unexplored section?" Percy ventured. We all watched as the smokescreen faded, revealing twelve silhouettes standing in a semicircle. My father wasn't with them, and so was Hestia although I had slightly expected their presences to be there. After all, they were both siblings and the first-born of the Olympians. The gods never strayed far from their thrones. But even a single silhouette resembling those big seats seemed nonexistent at the moment._

_"-architect of Olympus, remember?" Annabeth was saying. "I already know most of the places in there." Pursing her lips, Annabeth crossed her arms over her chest. "Maybe you're right, though. There were some sections the gods didn't want me to-"_

_"Listen."_

_Everyone stopped talking at once and faced the screen. Zeus cleared his throat and the small wisps of smoke faded. It definitely didn't look like Olympus._

_"Today," he started to say, "your lives will depend on the choice you're all about to make at this moment."_

_Gasps resounded all over the air, followed by the droning voices of each and every demigod. My hands twitched as I heard them all, but that wasn't the cause of it. I glanced at the flat, nearly translucent screen where Zeus, regal as ever in his embroidered white tunic and golden cape, looked at everyone with a stoic expression. He looked so calm announcing- in behalf of not only the Twelve Olympians but of all gods and goddesses- that he denounces the children of the gods._

_"How can you do this to us?" A girl's high-pitched whine pierced my ears. Everyone had gone silent, hearing her sniffles. Glancing back, I saw her amidst the Aphrodite siblings, sitting next to Piper. Blonde, braided hair and her speech a bit slurred from braces- I recognized her as Lacy._

_"After all the trouble-"_

_The movement was too fast, and it took a moment for anyone to realize what just happened. A faint buzzing sound filled my ears as I looked on with my jaw slacked, terrified more than anything else. A dark tentacle arose right below Lacy and tore her in half. Her siblings and the other demigods nearest to them had backed away, screaming, stumbling. She didn't even had the chance to scream._

_"It has been decided." Zeus' voice jarred them back to attention. "You can either leave your respective camps and live like all this never happened- we assure you that you'll be able to stay until the world ends. Isn't it freedom from us that you wanted?" Zeus spread his arms like a proud father. It only irked me more. "This is our answer."_

_The back row threw baskets. Others threw what was left of their breakfasts. Chaos had descended on us all._

_Percy clenched his fist. If not for Annabeth's soothing touch, he would've punched that holographic screen. Or anyone who stood on his path. He looked pretty much like that. The half-bloods screaming various profanities against their godly parent told me that I wasn't alone._

_"So you're saying that everything we've done would be all for nothing?"_

_"I have no more family except for my demigod siblings. I'm not leaving even if it costs my life!"_

_"I've never really liked being a half-blood, so-"_

_"What a selfish jerk! I can't believe I've put up with you!"_

_"What about our friends who died?"_

_"Yeah! Are you saying we just have to throw their heroism away like trash?"_

_"We- we'll forget everyone we've met as half-bloods?"_

_That hit the rest of us hard. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Percy glance at Annabeth. She returned his gaze, her gray eyes turning darker yet still gleaming. A fist seemed to squeeze my heart. Forget my friends? Forget the life I've chosen and embraced?_

_I faced the screen. Not one god said anything yet. Their silence only gave way for rage to boil further inside me. If they try keeping their silence for more than five minutes, I-_

_"It's not them."_

_I turned. Rachel Elizabeth Dare had arrived. Her fiery red hair had bunched up in a newsboy cap. She wore a beige blazer over white tunic and ankle pants with random marker doodles. She walked forward, a glare set at the gods. "These gods aren't the Olympians. They're just mere decoys who-"_

_Too many things happened at once. Lightning struck outside, one after the other. Soldiers filed at the crest of Half-Blood Hill, their faces blank and expressionless. They were looking right at the valley, at us. If before, we were all spread out, we half-bloods gathered closer, eyes still gazing at the enemy line. Percy found himself clutching Annabeth by her waist, and brought her closer to him._

_"Were they seeing us?" someone said._

_"Of course they do."_

_As one, we all faced the screen again. The gods were gone, replaced by a purple-eyed boy that didn't looked older than ten, with ridiculously long cream white hair that reached the floor. He wore a white suit resembling that of a Knight's, a purple and black coat hanging on his small frame. Under a single command, the soldiers on the front line shot their rifles once. Some screams were cut short. Some lay in a heap at the ground, unmoving._

_I gawked, realizing what they were about to do but couldn't believe it. "What are they doing-"_

_The little boy's voice sailed through the still air, loud and clear._

_"Kill them!"_

Percy nudged me with his elbow. "Nico?"

Startled, I uttered, "Huh?"

"You okay?"

I rubbed my eyes in slow circles. The wind blew less colder than it was before, which kind of helped to clear my mind. "Yeah. Just," I breathed. "My mind pulled me back to that day."

He frowned. "Oh. What brought you to that?"

Before I could muster a logical answer, a glistening bronze figure the size of a school bus crashed near the shoreline,, dousing us all with ice-cold saltwater and hot clouds of mist. It felt like a million pins and needles stabbed my skin all at once. The water shocked the air out of my lungs. In the midst of cacophony-- loud gasping, coughing-- a sweet female voice shouted: "Sorry! Never meant to do that!"

Once we got back to our bearings, we gazed at the sea that seemed to regain its tranquility again. It was still a dark slate canvass full of distorted stars, and a new addition to that was a shadow-- a dragon's shadow. Treading over the reflecting surface was Leo's dragon, Festus, and on its back was a girl. At first glance, she seemed like an apparition because of the sheen glow around her, but it seemed too "lively" for an actual one.

"Calypso!" Leo stumbled forward, grinning half-dazed at her. Small wisps of smoke curled off his body, hinting that he's using that impeccable fire ability of his and not extending the courtesy to us.

She had jeans and a white shirt, her amber hair tied in a graceful ponytail. Is she the goddess who imprisoned Odysseus back in the myths? She looked too young...

Festus landed right before us, uttering creaks and squeaks which made Leo laugh and say, "You did great, Festus! Where have you been all this time?"

Calypso got down the dragon's back, gave it a gentle pat on the neck, and with open arms she turned to Leo and they hugged. Not for long, though, as we sneezed and coughed up seawater.

"What's up?" Percy said. He wheezed as bad as an asthmatic ghost stuck in Asphodel for all eternity.

They extricated themselves from their hug, then they faced us. "You're all confused," Calypso noted with a weary glance. At a closer range, a few strands of her hair had stuck up and there were dark circles under her eyes. "But don't worry. Help from our new allies will get to us soon."

New allies?

"What do you mean?" The girls asked in an unexpected unison.

"The Immortal Witch seeks all of you," she replied, her voice firm and confident. Annabeth and I exchanged knowing glances. She'd been there too when Chiron mentioned it first to us. "She intends on saving you for a greater cause."

 


	7. Escape

"Who is the Immortal Witch?" Hazel said, her brows scrunched together.

 

Calypso had replied, "A new friend of Hecate, C.C."

 

"Circe?" Three people asked at once: Reyna, Percy, and Annabeth. I don't know what kind of connection they had with that certain favorite of Hecate, and judging from the grimace seeping through their masks of calm it wasn't a good thing to talk about.

 

But really, who was she? How long had she and Hecate been friends? For all I knew, their godly definition of new was one thousand years or less.

 

The goddess shook her head, her smile faint. "C.C. doesn't stand for anything: her name, I mean. She refuses to tell anyone of it."

 

I sported a stare at Reyna, who returned the favor quite well. She, too, had never been fond of telling anyone of her surname back then. And that "back then" was, what, a few months ago.

 

"Can't the Fates target anyone else besides us?" Percy asked to the sky, exasperated. "I could really use some 'no prophecies, no quests' kind of thing."

 

Calypso's tight nod was enough token for sympathy. If I was right, she was imprisoned for helping the Titans in the first Titan War. The Olympian gods took no chances towards their enemies, not even minding if those enemies might've saved them somewhere in the future.

 

"I think I should get more credit seeing as I'd gone supernova to burn Dirt Face." Leo turned to Calypso. "Do I get an exemption slip, Sunshine?"

 

Calypso shook her head. "As far as I know, no one's sparing anyone, Leo." Leo's groan was barely heard. "Not with the Olympians bottled up in Eden, and the rest bunched up as mere essences at the World of C."

 

Jason gasped loudly, followed by a cathartic sneeze. "Nico mentioned that- the word Eden, I mean."

 

The goddess zeroed in on me, her brows narrowed. "How?"

 

My gaze flitted to my soaked jeans. "Um. Kind of... had a dream."

 

She nodded, her hand cupping her chin. "Details could wait at the moment. She'd like to hear that herself." She snapped her fingers, and I was instantly dry. Not only that; my clothes had changed to a black uniform with gold buttons and linings. I looked at everyone and they wore the same outfit like mine.

 

"For now, we must go. We're not safe here."

 

Groaning, I sat on the damp rock. The rest followed suit. Agitated hands ran through my dripping hair. Thinking about all this gave me a splitting headache. Sure, we owe the gods our existence, our friends, and all the memories that taught us a lot, but we're also human. The gods never understood that side simply because they're immortal. They could get their way around fate and suffer little to no repercussions of their acts.

 

We cannot. And we get frustrated at how mere strings of fate could manipulate our lives, our loyalties wavering when put to the extremes.

 

But most of all, it was just tiring. I've lost far more than I had gained, had been humiliated by a god, rewarded by nothing despite everything that I did. If I had known that my staying as the son of Hades would cost a dozen or more lives so I'd live and have another war to reckon with, then I had chosen to live as a mortal wandering the earth. I'd have no clue that these people I'm currently with were my friends, the ones who'd never made fun of who I am.

 

Where would I go if I chose being a mortal instead?

 

"Look," Calypso said, jarring me out of my ministrations, "moping around won't do us any good--"

 

The earth shook, throwing us off our feet and back to the sand. I got a new outfit and this happens. I hope it's stain-proof.

 

"This isn't good," Calypso muttered.

 

"Why?" Percy asked.

 

"We have to leave. Right now."

 

Hazel raised her hand. "How do we do that? Could Festus carry us all?"

 

Leo grimaced. "Did my dragon screamed ten-seater to you, Levesque?"

 

Calypso shot him a caustic glance, and in an instant Leo folded the sarcasm away. She turned back at us. "Does anyone know how to do a really loud whistle?"

 

"For what?"

 

"Someone had to call the hippocampi."

 

Percy raised his hand. "Sea expert at your ser- Oh." He slapped his forehead. "I forgot I lost it."

 

Calypso tilted her head slightly. "Lost what?"

 

"My... godly abilities." He pursed his lips. "We all lost it, except Frank, Leo, and Hazel."

 

"I was just about to say that," Leo cut in.

 

Worry wrote itself on the goddess' fair face. If she was surprised after hearing the second-to-the-worse news that we have, she didn't show it. "So how would we call them now?"

 

Leo faced Frank, who was staring like a fish to the dark ocean. "Can you turn into one? And what're you looking at?"

 

"Turn into what?" Frank pointed out to the sea. "Them? I don't think we need someone to whistle at them anymore."

 

Seven multi-colored fish horses, arranged in an inverse V to guide a yacht toward the shore. It looked big enough to carry us all. The scales of the fish-horses twinkled like glowing neon discs. In their wake were trails of light fading slowly over the inky sea.

 

"I don't see Rainbow there," Percy muttered.

 

Annabeth swatted his arm. "Percy! This isn't a time for minding your beloved hippocampi."

 

Once the distance between us and the boat was close enough, we climb the deck. Calypso preferred a bronze dragon ride so we let her be. Leo looked like he was about to protest but rested the case after Calypso explained why. She would act as a bait. If ever the enemies were to come, she'd be the first person--goddess, actually--they'll have to strike her down before they get us.

 

"C.C. herself confirmed that the enemy--the Directorate--will try killing the rest of you, as they had failed in their first phase." Or the Big Wipeout, as what Percy and Leo had dubbed. ("The Purge sounds too gore for my liking, Sunshine," Leo said. "That I can agree with," Percy said.)

 

Once we boarded the ship, I worried about my sister Hazel. She was right behind me, assisted by Frank. The yacht immediately moved, anxious to get away from here, probably. I heard Hazel taking a shallow breath. I knew her seasickness would kick in soon.

 

Two navigators were stationed near the ship controls, and one of them gave us a little rundown of the ship. She was petite and looked roughly around ten, fair skinned, with short silver hair and blue eyes. She wore the same uniform as us. The difference was that it was white and all the gold embellishments were replaced with black, shiny ones.

 

"Please make yourselves comfortable, sires," she said after before leading us below deck. "I'm Mao, one of he navigators of this yacht."

 

"You look too... young," Annabeth observed.

 

Mao smiled, but it seemed more of a frown. "Don't let appearances fool you, Miss Chase. Anyway, shall we start a little tour?"

 

We all exchanged glances, then nodded in assent. Mao led the way and we followed her wake.

 

"We keep a lot ready-to-eat morsels like chips and cookies. But if you insist for actual meals, don't hesitate to knock on this door." She tapped the first door on the right. As if on cue, the air smelled of roasted turkey and bread. My eyes widened and I tried to swallow the air. We didn't have any decent meals as of late--except last night's tacos which Leo had served.

 

"You don't have to worry about anything until we get to our destination. Food, water, beds--"

 

"Awesome!" Leo wriggled his way between our cramped line and stood behind the young navigator. "I could use some comfy, fluffy mattress just about now."

 

She pointed to the direction of the bunk room. Once Leo was gone, Hazel, Frank, Jason, and Piper followed. They all grabbed the opportunity of rest. (Before Hazel had settled, however, I insisted on her taking a medicine to relieve her seasickness. The navigator easily found one in a cabinet at the small kitchen.)

 

Only me, Percy, and Annabeth were left with the navigator. The air thickened, choking and coaxing fear out of my skin. Something pricked my arm out of nowhere--my hands twitched and my breath quickened. Did something just happened? The navigator mumbled something we couldn't make out.

 

"What?" Percy asked.

 

"Nothing!" She smiled at us three. "It's just me worrying about how long the trip from America to Antarctica would take..."

 

"A-are you serious-"

 

"Antarctica?" Me and Annabeth blurted out in unison. We gazed briefly at each other. "Really?"

 

"Ah," the navigator laughed a little, scratching the nape of her neck. "Afraid so, sires."

 

We all wanted to introduce ourselves, but she had claimed that she knew us anyway. "C.C. insisted on remembering each and everyone of you. How could I disobey her?"

 

Percy nodded at that. "So. I think it should be me who'd cut the chase right now. Can you tell us about C.C.?"

 

Mao smiled sheepishly at us. "I'd rather not say anything about her here. It would be better if you meet her in person, which will happen sooner than imagined."

 

I tilted my head sideways. "Why not? Is she really that se-"

 

The ship's bow seemed to hit something. The impact almost pitched us to the floor. We held on the walls for support, heard a discordant staccato of bodies falling and glasses breaking at the kitchen. There was a loud, grating sound, as if the yacht tried to saw its way through a really large piece of wood.

 

Then the air felt really cold- almost colder than the coldest morning I've ever experienced outside Camp Half-Blood. I shivered, then I saw every huff of my breath turn into misty clouds.

 

Alarm bells tolled.

 

"Oh, no way." Mao pushed past us and went back to the deck. We followed her wake, confused. Before we even launched to the top deck, ice-cold raindrops stung my face.

 

"What is happening..." Percy muttered, his eyes taking a darker shade as he gazed throughout the ocean. Lightning burst from the overcast sky and in a heartbeat we all saw--

 

"Calypso!" Annabeth pointed somewhere at the east. The winds and rain slapping at my face and the sea churning and rocking our little transport like a rubber duck made it hard for me to see.

 

Screeches filled the air; distant, but there.

 

"Anemoi thullai," Percy said. "They're cooking this freaking storm out."

 

Never had I expected storm spirits to frolick above our ship. Being demigods, or having the faintest trace of one, what else was new?

 

"Go down, the three of you," the Commander told us. "You're all valuable alive, and C.C. will kill me if you're all dead."

 

We followed her advice--not that we could stand any longer to be out there in the storm. My hands were already cold from the rain, and my breaths had turned ragged without me knowing. I got inside the cabin first, swaying back and forth.

 

The rest were already awake, sitting on their bunks and holding on for dear life. A lamp dangled from the ceiling, gaining a share of our unfortunate experience, its dim white light flickering like a dying lighthouse. A unenthusiastic humidity lingered around us, accompanied by musty air from being long trapped.

 

Our skiff crested tall waves, the boat sloping upward and near vertical, our hands clawing to the bare walls. I stood by the porthole, listening to the crash of waves and gazing. Nothing but a lifeless, monochromatic world greeted me: a slate-colored ocean with high waves sloshing the deck paired with an ominous skyline of thick, gray clouds. Judging from the constant heightening of the waves, neither Calypso nor Festus are doing a great job at defending the ship. They might've angered the storm spirits even more, too. How would it not? The venti despises fire.

 

A staccato of relentless hail resonated from the deck to our ears, sounding as hard as little bullets, which just reminded me of bullets raining to the Big House the previous day.

 

How was Camp Half-Blood now? Had those heartless and vile beasts have turned it into...

 

No. I refused to think about it. It was awful thinking things that way, that the only home I had (and I could ever have) could be gone any minute now and I'm here. Away from my second motherland, embarking a perilous journey toward the unfamiliar waters, unfamiliar territories.

 

But then again, what else is new?

 

"We're sorry." This, coming from Frank across the small room, caught our attention despite the storm's merciless assault. He was a true mountain of a man, with his colossal physique and taut muscles, but it didn't stop him from being a good and gentle guy from the get-go.

 

"What're you apologizing for?" Percy asked as thunder boomed across the sky thrice. In effect, his words weren't heard much and he had to repeat it twice, and louder.

 

"It's us that have attracted the venti," Hazel admitted, heaving. The angry chopping of waves had made it worse. "You know, with our abilities still intact."

 

"No, Hazel," Reyna said. "If it's going to be anyone else's fault, then let's just put the blame on everyone in this ship. In the first place, we never gave up our birthrights to the gods."

 

"We're demigods," Annabeth agreed. "With or without powers."

 

Percy smiled, then it wavered. "Too bad we couldn't help them up there." As the words abandoned him, I felt my own energy sap out of my system. The crestfallen faces of my friends told me that we were all on the same page.

 

Annabeth took a deep breath, her gray eyes as hard as opal. "Let's try to take rest, guys."

 

Then, as if the venti had heard Annabeth's words, the maelstrom intensified and rest was near impossible.

 

Winds raged. The rain reminded me of bullets falling on the Big House's porch, loud and clear to my ears. I couldn't seem to think straight. Everything inside the boat that we hadn't sat upon rolled to the other side. Our only light went off as the glass shattered, dousing us with darknes that we didn't need. The yacht rocked back and forth as it climbed the massive waves, while we got tossed around like rubber toys in a bathtub.

 

"Di Immortales!" someone from the deck shouted.

 

"Turn to the waves!" Mao replied.

 

"How?"

 

Waves hit beneath the yacht, almost pitching us upside-down. It didn't stopped there. Once. Twice. Thrice. My stomach seemed to drop to the seafloor, leaving me with a hollow, aching and searing feeling in my throat like I had drunk acid. Everytime the boat lurched to a nearly vertical position, the more I became positive that something was pushing the boat beneath, trying to capsize us. My eyes adjusted to the dark and I saw vague silhouettes hanging on to their seats and to the wall behind them.

 

"Move forward!" I cried as I crawled on fours to what I assumed as the prow's direction. "Something's trying to sink us!"

 

"What?" Percy's face darkened. "You can't mean--"

 

My legs felt like jelly as I crawled in the dark, slipping at some points and getting hit at by boxes as heavy as I am, my eyes longing for light. Ironic it may seem, with me being a child of the Underworld, but like everybody else I feared the shadows and the dark. Air dropped to freezing, stinging my skin. My head hit the wall, and decided to lean onto it. The ship groaned as it turned to the waves. Death was near, ready to grab another sightless soul to the inevitable afterlife.

 

It was right here, in this yacht.

 

The storm lessened a bit, just enough for me to hear if there are still people around me.

 

Faint scuttling noises.

 

Sniffling.

 

Mao's voice came on: "Everyone stay where you are! We'll try to--"

 

"MAO!"

 

"Where is she?" I found myself screaming.

 

"She fell to the waves!"

 

We waited.

 

We waited for someone to tell us that Mao came back.

 

We waited.

 

But we didn't hear anything for a long time.

 

Someone said, "link hands," and I felt two hands hold onto mine.

 

"You're shaking," Hazel told me, tugging my fingers.

 

"Who wouldn't," I breathed. "Are you okay?"

 

"I don't feel... seasick. I guess..."

 

A sloshing sound came from the other end of the room. Seawater. Going inside. Straining to reach us. The boat rode the waves, and this time it stood straight up.

 

Dark, frigid water plowed straight toward us, coming from the hall, unblinking and unjust as it claimed my consciousness in one swift move.


End file.
